Location, Location, Location (Job Search Edition)

By Luis H. Garay

@LuisHGaray

Being back in my hometown this past week, I spend time with not only my
family (and a puppy!) and friends but also friends who are currently living out
of state. At the moment, I have friends scattered across the United States and
abroad. Some of them were able to come in to spend the Thanksgiving holiday
with their family. Thankfully, I was able to catch up with them!

As I was having coffee with one of these friends, I began to think
about my own move happening in the not-so-distant future: my move that will
come from the job search. This friend currently lives in one city I am planning
to job search in, Sacramento. As she talked my ear off about Sacramento, I got
really excited about the possibility of living there! For one, it would be nice
to live in a warmer climate and, hey, maybe even celebrate my birthday in
January in warmer weather.

This was just one friend who is encouraging me to live in one area.
However, I have other people who are
providing just as much encouragement. I have my family and hometown friends
encouraging me to move back. I also have friends supporting the east coast and
mid-Atlantic areas to job search in.
The cities I’m looking at include:

Philadelphia

New York City

Boston

DC

Chicago

Sacramento

San Francisco

London

I am still not sure where I would ideally like to end up location-wise
for my first professional job. There are just so many factors to consider.
Thankfully I have many friends and mentors who are more than willing to listen
and help me process.

I also wanted to write this post to illustrate how I feel about the job
search. When it comes to location, I think about my family. I wish I could articulate why my family is
important to me for this search but I cannot really find the words. I know a
part of me is feeling I have spent enough time away from my family. I am also
thinking, “Wouldn’t be nice for my parents if I was closer to home?”. As part of my culture and eldest child of
three, I feel a certain responsibility to my family. Being there, present, and
available to my family is of the upmost importance to me.

I’m starting to think the question might be the following: What do I
want? What will make me happy? Which city will be the best for my professional
development and advancing in the field?